Solace
by Sakura Kaijuu
Summary: Oneshot -- Things have been piling up on Sakura lately, and this thing with Sasuke just pushes her over the edge. Now she's throwing a tantrum where no one will hear her. She thinks. Pairings are...SECRET!


Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Never have, never will.  
  
A/N: I know. Work on your other fics. Don't feel like it right now. I'm feeling pretty crappy, and I'm gonna try to express that in this. I think it'll be a one shot, but I can't be sure.  
  
-- Sakura Kaijuu  
  
*~*  
  
It hurt so badly. Sakura took a deep, shuddering breath and sat down on the ground. She was at the training grounds where she had become a gennin, behind one of the three logs by the memorial. She bent her head through her knees and heaved with sobs. After a few minutes she looked straight up to the sky and screamed, "DO YOU HATE ME? WHAT HAVE I EVER DONE TO DESERVE THIS?!" She choked on the words and leaned against the log, still crying.  
  
She hated to remember it. She had loved Sasuke for how many years? She almost didn't remember, but it came to her. Eight. Eight years she had liked him. Since she was eight years old.  
  
When she found out that Sasuke was on her team, she had been ecstatic, gloating to Ino, pleased with herself. Even though Ino had been angry then, she didn't seem to care so much anymore. Not since Shikamaru 'fessed up to liking her. Now they were a couple, and Ino only admired Sasuke's looks. Ino didn't understand anymore. She really wasn't sure if Ino had ever understood.  
  
Four years ago, when Sasuke had called her "annoying" twice in a matter of months, she had thought that she was humiliated. Especially the second time, when she had tried to stop him from running away. But he had THANKED her! She thought that meant something. But apparently not. She sobbed again.  
  
Over time, something had been building up inside of her, but she could usually deal with it by putting all her concentration on her work. But this time...something had just tipped her over the edge. That afternoon, she had told Sasuke that she loved him. Again...  
  
**flashback** (A/N: Wow...how uncharacteristic of me to put in a flashback. But whatever.)  
  
"Sasuke!" Sakura caught up to him. It had taken her a while to work up the nerve to try this again. She was pretty sure of what the answer would be, but she had to try.  
  
He turned and looked at her. She was leaning on her knees, panting. "What?"  
  
"Um...Sasuke-kun...well..." Sakura's stomach was doing flips. She couldn't possibly do it. There was no way she could work up the courage to actually say it... "Sasuke-kun, I love you!" she blurted.  
  
He blinked at her. "What?"  
  
Sakura's face wasn't red from exhaustion anymore. It was beet red from embarrassment. "Um...I...I love you." She looked away from him. He was staring at her like she was insane.  
  
After several minutes of uneasy silence, Sasuke replied, "I-I'm sorry, Sakura. But I don't feel the same way."  
  
**end flashback**  
  
Sakura's jaw clenched and her eyes refilled with tears as she closed them. She didn't want to remember that. A lot of bad things were happening right now, and she didn't want to have to remember that NOW. She was breathing in hiccups. It was near evening. She was supposed to be home for dinner. But she didn't want to go. She wanted to sit there and feel sorry for herself. She wanted someone to feel sorry for her. She started fiddling with a rock near her knee and remembered all the other things that were weighing down on her mind right now.  
  
She took another shaking breath and listed them off out loud. "Well...my training with Tsunade hasn't been going so well...I haven't got a boyfriend, or anything even remotely close, while my best friend has a boyfriend..." She swallowed. She wasn't sure if this was helping or not. "I'm still no where near as strong as Naruto or Sasuke, and I'm not sure if I was really cut out to be a ninja in the first place."  
  
She brought her knees to her chin and rested her head on them. "Yeah...That really helped..." she said sarcastically. She wished there was someone who could listen to her. She needed someone to talk to, but she couldn't think of anyone who would really understand. For half a second she thought of Sasuke, and then let out a sarcastic laugh, "Yeah, like that'd help."  
  
Tsunade-sama was nice, but pouring out your soul to the Hokage just didn't seem respectful. Kakashi was too old. Ino wouldn't possibly be able to help her with her problems. She couldn't think of a single person she could talk to. Not a single person who could understand her. She started fiddling with the dirt next to her leg.  
  
The trees rustled, and she looked around the log. She gasped. Of all people, it was Naruto. she quickly rubbed her eyes, even though she knew they'd still be red and her face would still be blotchy. She stood up and stepped into the clearing. "Naruto? What are you doing here?"  
  
He looked at her, "Looking for you. I was kind of following you earlier. And I kind of heard what Sasuke said...And I felt bad, but then I went for a walk and heard you yell."  
  
Sakura blushed. "Oh. Well, that was really rude of you." She turned away from him and leaned on the log. "So...you got anything to say to me?"  
  
Naruto paused. Then answered, "No. No, I don't."  
  
She smiled a little. "Naruto, you have got to be the worst liar in the entire Konoha village. What is it?"  
  
He sighed and looked all around the clearing, avoiding looking at her. "It's nothing. But I still think you're pretty. And I think you've gotten a lot stronger. And I think you're an awesome ninja. According to Jiraiya- sensei, us three remind him almost creepily of him, Tsunade, and Orochimaru. Well...not that the whole 'Sasuke's-like-Orochimaru' is a good thing. Oh well."  
  
"Thanks for trying, Naruto. But really, I'm not in the mood," Sakura looked down at the ground.  
  
Naruto sighed in exasperation, "Sakura, you're not worthless. So get over it." She heard him walk towards her, and didn't look up. Even when he turned her to face him, she didn't look up. Only when he forced her face up did she look into his face. "Sakura. You need to forget what happened before, and work on what will happen in the future. You have a lot of people who love you. A lot. And you always have."  
  
She thought she heard some pain in those last words. Now that she thought about it, Naruto had been alone until Team 7 was formed. "I'm sorry, Naruto. I didn't mean to be rude."  
  
"It's okay. You didn't do anything wrong. Just remember that you're not alone. And remember that I still love you."  
  
Naruto let her go and looked away. He obviously hadn't meant to say that. Sakura started to smile. "Really? I thought you had given up on me a long time ago."  
  
"Uh...No..." Naruto was slowly going red.  
  
She hadn't really notice how much taller than her Naruto had become. He was kind of cute. She smiled at him. "Thanks Naruto. I do feel better now." She reached up and kissed him on the cheek. "But now I have to go. Sometimes you're not quite so annoying as I think you are."  
  
She grabbed his arm and dragged him out of the clearing, back into the village, down to Ichiraku, and bought him a bowl of ramen. 'Maybe there's nothing wrong with me after all...' she thought as she watched Naruto eat his favorite food. 'Maybe I just needed to find the right person to tell me.'  
  
*~*  
  
The end!!  
  
*~*  
  
A/N: Whoo-hoo! I actually finished an entire fanfic. Too bad I still feel crappy, but at least I gave Sakura a happily ever after that I can deal with. Sorry to all you anti-Naru/Saku fans and all you Naru/Hina and Saku/Sasu fans. And all you Naru/Sasu fans too, now that I think about it. But I hope that in general you liked the fic.  
  
-- Sakura Kaijuu 


End file.
